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(No Model.)

C. DOUGLAS.

SHAPER. v No. 469,852. Patented Mar. 1, 1892.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.. C. DOUGLAS.

SHAPER.

Patented Mar. `1, 1892.

fit1/anion Va/Zes jozyhw w/Wf UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`OHARLES DOUGLAS, OE DETROIT, MIcI-IIGAN.

`SHAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,852, dated March-1, 1892.

i Application filed March 25, 1891. Serial No. 386,395. (No model.)

brushes, brush-backs, dtd-and other workV which is accomplished by means of Shapers. A

The present object of myinvention is to do this work in a manner whereby a mechanical feed is employed; and to this end my invention consists in the use of a stationary pattern or patterns secured separately and independently of the work, in connection with a mechanical feed of the blank; and, further, my invention consists in the peculiar combi,- nation of two cutter-heads, two stationary patterns which are complementary to each other, and of a reciprocating feed device which works in connection with both Glitters and both patterns, all as more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the drawings, in

. which- Figure l is a side elevation of my Shaper;-

Fig. 2, a plan View thereof, and Fig. 3 a vertical cross-section on line ,fr a: andl li'ne y y in Fig. 1, the latter being taken through the clamping device; Figs. 4 and 5, detail views of a blank for a shoe-brush handle before entering the machine. Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and l0 are diagrams showing the blank in dilferent stages of the operation. Fig. 1l represents the blanks for cutting brush-backs.

A is the frame of the machine, of any suitable description and supporting the operating parts. l

B B are two reciprocating feed-slides secured to opposite sides of theframe, respectively, in suitable horizontal guides C, engaging the upper and lower edges of the feedslides. Each slide is reciprocatingly operated by suitable mechanical devices, such as a feed-rack a, secured to each slide and engaging with a pinion b, which receives its motion from the source of power through any suitable intermediate mechanism provided with a belt-shifter D or other known mechanical device for automatically reversing the motion of the feed-slides after they have carried the work past the cutters. As such devices are in common use for similar purposes, no specitic description need be given. The feedslides are made of any suitable length to carry a number of Work-holding clamps E, consisting of a stationary jaw c and a mov- .able jaw d, the latter being secured on the end of a lever ,fulcrumed in suitable extensions on the supporting-plate E of the clamp, the lower end of the levert engaging with an inclined bearing i2, sleeved on a suitable stud secured to the plate E and carrying a handlever e. These clamps are vertically slidingly secured in vertical guides f, secured to the feed-slides, and each clamp has two guiderollers g ,and h, the `former to raise the clamp for presenting the work to the cutters and the latter to gage its approach to these cutters, as more fully hereinafter described. There are four of these cutters F F F2 FS shown, which are secured upon the ends of two transverse shafts G G', journaled on top of the frame and revolved in oppositedirections. Below each cutter are adjustably secured to the frame in any suitable manner the Stationary patterns H H H2 H3, on the lower edge of which the rollers h of the workholding clamps are guided while being drawn along by the slide.

I I are lifting-rails secured to the frame, one below each pattern. Each lifting-rail is yieldingly supported by suitable springs J and has an inclined section K loosely hinged to one end. The Office of the lifting-rails is to lift up the clamps while they are passing under the cutters and to crowd them against the patterns with sufficient force to cause the rollers 72, on the clamp to follow the exact outline of the patterns while being drawn along by the feed-slide. The inclined section K ot' the two rails are hinged to the outer ends, so that when the feed-slide is going in one direction theA rollers g of the clamps will go u p and pass over one rail only, and when going in the Opposite direction will pass up and over the other rail only, and to guard against any possibility of having any clamp lifted up by the two rails in succession (which might happen by a clamp not sliding freely in its IOO vertical bearings) a depressing-guide L is placed between the two patterns, which by forcibly striking the roller h of a clamp forces the latter down, so that its roller g must pass under the succeeding rail even if the clamp should not drop by its own Weight when it leaves the end of the rail. The lifting-rails are made yielding in any suitablemanner for the purpose described. In the drawings the rails are pivotally secured near the end to the tension-rods M, which pass through vertical guides N on the frame and are provided at the lower end with a yoke O, to which the springs J aresecured at one end, all so arranged that the rails are perfectly free `to yieldmore or less to force the rollers 7L to travel in contact with the outline of the patterns, and free to tiltso that the clamps may be spaced close enough to permit the rails to control two clamps at thevsame ltime. there the patterns are of an abrupt outline, I preferably form a part or the whole of the rails correspondingly with the patterns-as, for instance, shown in the drawings in Fig. l, wherein humps 't are formed upon the rails,

as shown in dotted lines to correspond with.

thedeep indentationsj of the patterns.

In machines ofthe character of myvmachine, devised for shaping wood by cutting in the direction of the grain of the wood and Where theline of cutting goes in and out, it is well understood that if the work is required the cutting should always be done with the` grain and never against the grain, especially with small work, where the wood is apt to split, or with wood of coarse grain, and no shaping-machine of Athis character has been devised heretofore which-dispenses with the guiding hand vand judgment of the workman e in manipulating the work in suchmanner that the cutter always cutin 7 that is, with the grain and never against the grain. The im? portant part of my invention consistsin accomplishing this by mechanical means alone, with the advantage of doing the. work much faster and moreperfect and dispensing with the use of skilled laborv for the purpose `entirely. To this end the two patterns on each side are made complementary to each other, as .will be seen by describing the work of shaping Vshoe-brush handles with my machine.

Blanks are first procured of the form shown in Fig. t and marked l. Into these a saw-kerf 2 is made, as in Fig. 5. Then ythe blanks are properly clamped into the workfholders on one Side of themachine, where the reciprocation of the slide rst presents them to one cutter and then to the other. Suppose the blank is first presented to the cutter F, which operates in connection with the pattern H, as shown in Fig. G. Then the work of this cutter will be to cut into the blank along the dotted lines, as shown on the blank below, while the cutter F', which operates in connection with the pattern H after the slide reverses, will cut after the dotted line shown in Fig. 7. The

work of shaping one edge of the blank is thus obtained without cutting against the grain by dividing the work between the two cutters and making the patterns complement each other. The proper way of shaping the two patterns for any given work can thus be readily determined Aby selecting for one pattern all such portions which can be cut with the grain by feeding the work in one direction, and for the other pattern all the Work which can be cut with the grain by feeding the work in the opposite direction, so that it the two patterns were superimposed they would exactl y complement each other. Where the cutters are not required to cut, the respective patterns should be suitably shaped to keep the work away from the cutters, although this may be accomplished `by other means, such as by means of the rails or other devices which may be readily contrived. In this connection it will be understood that in constructing machines of this character obvious improvements may be added for readily adjusting, changing, or modifying the patterns, the rails, and other parts for dging a vvariety of work with the same machine.

Referring back again to the cutting ofthe shoe-brush handle, the blank after having been shaped upon one. edge is provided with another saw kerf, as at 3 in Fig. 8, and then clamped into the work-holders on the other side of the machine, where the operation `is precisely similar-.that is, one cuttei'-as, for` instance, thecutterF2-in connection with the pattern H2, cuts the blank, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.. 9, and the cutter F-'vin connection with the pattern Ils, accomplishes The object of `making the saw-kert's the rest. 2 and 3 into the blank is toprevent the splitting od o f the wood, which in small articles may happen at the places where the cutters are cutting rather ,deeply into the wood.`

While I have described my machine as adapted for shaping a blank with the use of four cutters, it will be understood that if the two sidesv or edges are to be shaped alike or only one` side or edge has. to be shaped `the two cutters on one side will do the work,and

the machine may then be. constructed *for work on one side only or for different work on the two sides. Preferably I construct the slides on thetwo sides to work independently of each other, so that each attendant may stop and start it on his own account.

` The speciicrconstruction of the work-holders or clamps is a matter more or less dependent upon the kind of work the machineis in.-`

tended to perform and may be readilyidetermined, and if the machine isidesigned for` a lvariety of work it will be equally withinordinary skill to make necessary and obvious provisions. Generally I prefer to construct the clamps so as to each'. receive two or more blanks, and in securing the blanks into these work-holders it must not be overlooked that the blanks have to be adjusted in position IOO IIO

quired is to round'the corners oft, as shown` in dottedlines, and the work may be done with two cutters on one side of the machine by reversing the blanks in the holders after one edge is shaped. By making the slidesofsuitable length a large number of work-hold-v ers may be secured thereto, and ample time is afforded to the attendants to remove the work and put new blanks in without even stopping the slides.

TvVhat I claim as my invention isl. In a Shaper, the combination, with a revolving cutter and a frame, of a longitudinal movable slide in the frame, means for moving the slide, a series of work-holders on the slide, tracing wheels on the holders, a patternholder above the slide, a spring-supported lifting-rail, and means for elevating the holders to engage the rail, substantially as described.

2. In a shaper, the combination, with a revolving cutter, of a longitudinally-movable work-holder, a fixed pattern-holder and a lifting-rail, and means for guiding the holder onto the rail and permitting its passage back below the same, substantially as described.

3. In a shaper, the combination ot' two oppositely-revolving cutters journaled in fixed bearings, a reciprocating feed-slide carrying one or more work-holders secured in transverse guides to said feed-slide, and a fixed pattern for each cutter, with which said workholders are adapted to make sliding contact alternately while the slide is drawn in opposite directions, substantially as described.

4. In a Shaper, the combination, with two and vertically movable work-holders, patternholders above the work-holders, separated lifting-rails below the cutter, and means for elevating the holders to the rails and permitting them to be moved back below the same, substantially as described. f

5. In a shaping-machine, the combination of two oppositely-revolving cutters journaled in fixed bearings, a reciprocating feed-slide carrying one or more holders secured in transverse guides to said feed-slide, two complementary patterns, one for each cutter, with which said work-holders are adapted to make sliding contact in passing the cutters, and the lifting-rails having hinged sections for alternatin g saidcontact, substantially as described.

6. In a shaping-machine, the combination of two oppositely-revolvin g cutters journaled in fixed bearings, a reciprocating feed-slide carrying one or more work-holders secured in transverse guides to said feed-slide, two complementary patterns, one for each cutter, with which said Work-holders are adapted to make sliding contact in passing the cutters, the lifting-rails having hinged sections for alternating said contact, and a depressing-guide between the two patterns, substantially as described.

voppositely-revol ving cutters, of longitudinally y Y In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES DOUGLAS. 

